Album credits used to be simple: who played what, who produced which cuts, who took the cover photo. No longer. As demonstrated by the reams of names on Paula Abdul’s Spellbound, pop stars now take up inordinate amounts of space on their albums listing anyone who has helped them in their careers, from childhood buddies to any company that ever lent them a guitar. For proof, we offer the following recent bursts of appreciation:

FishboneThe Reality of My SurroundingsTotal Thanks: 313 Times God Is Thanked: 5 — although in one case the Supreme Being gets lower billing than funk-trash bands Jane’s Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers Requisite Mysterious Mentions: Actors John Cusack and Tim Robbins and the ”loyal order of water buffalo”